Vehicle-spring.



W. E. SHEEHY.

VEHICLE SPRING.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7.

Patented May 2, 1916.

AWS.

of an elliptical vbut is srarns rar- WILLIM E. SHEEHY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

VEHICLE-SPRING.

LISLVS.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led September 7, 1915. Serial No. 49,159.

' scription, in connection with the accompany' ing drawing, is a specification, like charac.-

ters on the drawing representing like parts,v

This invention relates to vehicle springs' and'especially to springs adapted for use in automobiles, and t e principal object ofthe invention iste provide a sprngiwith'novel means which acts both to assist the. spring in supporting the the spring after it has been suddenly compressed. The device therefore acts both as'v an auxiliary load-supporting spring and as a shockabsorber.

In order to give an understanding of invention, ,I have illustrated in the .draw-- ings a selected yembodiment thereof, Which Will now be described, afterwhich the novel ont in the appended features will be pointed claims.

in the drawings Figurel is a sideview spring embodying my invena section on the line XX tion. 2 is shows a modification of the Fig. l. Fig?) invention.

I have herein chosen 'toV show'my invention as it would be embodied in two' types only of springs, but I Wishto state at the outset` that the invention is not limited in its use to springs 'of the types illustrated, capable of use in connection with other types f springs. i

1 indicates an elliptical vehicle spring'of any suitable construction, it being` shown as i secured to the axle 2 ofthe vehicle bymeans of the usual clips 3 and clamping plates'40. The upper side of the spring is secured to the frame 5 of the vehicle by the usual spring clips 7 y' t Theparts thusV far described are such as may be found in any elliptical vehicle spring, and form no ,part of my present invention. l y I My invention includes an auxiliary spring associated With the main spring-and constructed so that when the main, spring is compressed beyond a certain point, either by reason of being heavily loaded, or by reason of the vehicle riinning over an obstruction, the auxiliary spring Willcome into loadA When'the spring isV .heavily loaded, -andlto retardthe recoil of constructed l. latter when the 1 has a.

play to resist further main spring. Said auxiliary spring also has suchv construction Athat when the main spring recoils saidauxili'ary spring Will come into play` to resist or retard the recoiling movement, thus acting as a shock absorber. Inthe illustrated embodiment of my invention, this auxiliary spring is shown at 4, and-is in the `form of a leaf spring.

Patenten Maya, raie.

compression of the It is fixedly secured at its central portion 4to the lower Ypart ofthe main spring, and as a matter of convenience I mayemploytthe clips 3 as a means lfor securing the auxiliary4 spring 4, in place. This auxiliary spring 4 is placed on the inside of the spring l and the ends 50 'thereof are connected by a dexible connection 6, herein shown in the form 4of a chain. -This flexible connection 6 is to hold the .auxiliary spring 4L normally in slight tension so thatthe ends `50 of the spring 4 are normally separated slightly` from the lower half of the main spring l. l

The vehicle `frame has rigid therewith a device which acts on the chain 6 to flexthe,

main spring l is flexed beyond a predetermined amount. andl also .YWhen the main spring 1 recoils and opens beyond la predetermined position.. The bending or lexingof the chain 6 into the dotted line positionsF ig. 1' will draw thev Vends 50 of the auxiliary spring 4 toward each other, thus placing such spring under increased tension. The spring twill, therefore resistany force acting onrthe chain 6,y

line positions vF ig. 1. V

i In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the upper half of the main spring yoke-shaped vbracket 8 secured thereto,'in the arms of which is pivotedly mounted a roll 9, which is. adapted to bear on th springl is compressed. I will preferably ,tending to flex it vinto either vof the dotted eupper Vside of chain 6 when main make the roll f9 with the peripheral portion y 10 of leather, material, which Will ,eliminate any noise caused by the engagement of the roll With the chain 6. ,f

11 designatesv a U-shaped strap of leather or some other suitable material, which encircles the chainfi and is secured at its ends to the frame 8. For this purpose each side of the frame 8 is shown as provided 'with a vertical recess at '12, in which the end of the strap '11 isreciivcd, said strap being secured rubber or some other yielding.

to the freine by the pin or stud 13, on which the roll 9 is rotetirely mounted. Ii the spring l recoils suliciently so ss to vopen to e greater extent than the normal position shown in Fig. i, the-strep 11 will engage the chain-6 and fie): the latter into the upper dotted line position, thereby flexing the auxiliary spring 4. The resiliency oi the auxiliary spring Liwill of course tend to resist this Inmfeinent, and seid spring i thus operates to retard or resist the recoil or? the main spring l. it will thus be seen that the auxiliary spring #i acts both to essist the mein i. in supporting the lood, after said inain spring lies been compressed u pre determined ernennt, and also nots 4us a shock absorber to resist end returd 'the recoil of the moin spring 1 Se long es the mein spring i. is carrying :i medium or light load, the similiar-'y spring -l will be comparatively inactive, and this is true during the ordinary movement of the spring l in traveling over smooth roads. If, however, the .mein griffig i becomes compressed beyond e ce1*- tain uinount, caused by the Vehicle wheel passing over :in obstruction or dropping into a hole in the rond, then the auxiliary spring l cornes into'plzly augmente 'the action of the' spring l. The construction of' the auxiliary spring is such that its resistance increases very rapidly as the chain 6 is flexed, and it therefore provides n progres sively increased resistance both to any un- Idue compression. of the main spring l und any recoil of seid spriiw.

In Fig'. .3 l lieve illustrated another embodiment of my invention` es it might be applied to the semi-elliptical spring 100. In this embodiment the auxiliary spring" 4c is secured to the mein spring' 100 us illustrated in Fig. l., and the ends of the auxiliary spring are connected by the flexible connection 5. The ineens which act on the flexible connection 6 is connected directly to the frame 500 instead of to the upper half of the spring es shown in Fig. 1. means bus the sume construction. es illusu tinted in Fig. 1, the only diiierence being that it is secured directly to the freine 500 of tliceutomobile. The portion of the dey vice' shown in lil/ig.. 3 is-the sinne iisv tintin' illustrated in Figs. l and 2.

ln some vehicle springs there is likelyl to be e slight `longitudinal movement of the frame relative to the axle, which will result in a movement of the roll 9 longitudinally on 'the chain 6. In order to get this movement without aile/ting the portion of thev This Lire

device, l propose to provide the chain 6 with un elongated centi-:1l link 15, with,i which the roll 9 has engagement, said link being provided 'with e 'liet surface 16, vhieli' is situated slightly above the top surface of tliefchnin 6. lf there is my longitudinal 'movement of tbe iframe relative to the axle 2, the roll 9 will simply roll beck and forth on the surface ill. The roil 9, therefore will lieve engagement with the liet. straight suricce lf3, evenswlien the cliein l5 is liexedfinto either of the di line positions.

lllliile l have illustruted lieti-cin s selected embodiment my invention, l do not Wisli to be limited to the constructionol features shown as vthe principle of the invention 2night be applic' syringe oit' other types than that lier iliustrated.

Hoving ilu-.ry described my invention, what leleim es neufend desire to secure by Letters Potent si l. ln e. veiiicl., spring, the combination with u main leef spring'. of u curved iuxiliory leef spring secured intermediate of its ends to the main spring, .flexible connec tion connectingP the ends ci the auxiliary spring, and ineens for iiexing said connection, and thus placing tile suiiiiory spring under increased tension by liening movement of the mein spring.

2. lin n '-feliicle springt@ combination with :i .mein spring, ott' en auxiliary leef lspring secured 'intermediate of its ents to the mein spring, u flexible connection conn neet-ing the ends of the Y moei-is adopted to eng end dei: 'the flexible connection, thereby p .icing 'the auxiliary spring under incrensed tension Whenever the mein spring eitlier reeoils beyond n predetermined gioint or is compressed beyond e predetermined point.

in u vehicle spring, the combination with e 'vehicle *freine and en axle ci. e mein spring between seid freine and axle, 'en ouin iliery leef spying.; secured intermediate oi' its ends to the moin spring, eV cliein connecting the ends of the auxiliary spring, e. brecifet rigid with the ione, e roll carried v said bracket und adapted. to engage the p of the chain, and stron carried by seid. rocket und encircling said chain whereby d chain is flexed end the auxiliary spring sin placed 'under increased 'tension whenever the .main spring recoils or is compressed.

In testimony whereof, l have signed my usine to this specifica ion.

weithin n. snisnuif.

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